Today, ZeniMax Online Studios has released Elder Scrolls Online Update 44 on PC and Mac (console users will have to wait until November 13). As previously teased, this free update is highlighted by a major overhaul of the Battlegrounds, the game's version of instanced PvP.
If you've played the MMORPG before, you're probably aware that Battlegrounds was a 4v4v4 affair, mimicking the Alliance War between Daggerfall Covenant, Aldmeri Dominion, and Ebonheart Pact on a smaller scale. The three-way fight offered a lot of dynamic and unpredictable situations; however, Battlegrounds remained strictly a casual affair ever since their introduction back in 2017 with the Morrowind Chapter. This is all changing with Update 44, which tweaks Battlegrounds to 4v4 and 8v8 formats with players split between two factions.
The Elder Scrolls Online developers have designed seven brand new PvP maps, of which four are available in the 8v8 format and three in the 4v4 format. The 8v8 Battlegrounds will feature the full breadth of modes (Capture the Relic, Team Death Match, Domination, Chaos Ball, and Crazy King) as well as power-ups scattered throughout the map to make things more hectic. The 4v4 Battlegrounds are limited to just Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Crazy King. However, they include exclusive features like Rounds, Lives, and Spectator Camera.
Round matches are best of three and last five minutes each round. Some matches have lives, and they are displayed in the top right corner of the player's HUD (Heads-Up Display). Lives are per person, not per team. If you run out of lives, you will not be able to respawn any longer in that match. The Spectator Camera will only work in matches where there are lives, and you can only watch members of your team who are still alive. Moreover, the 4v4 Battlegrounds also have a competitive leaderboard which is based on the medals earned in each match.
Both formats have added Tiebreakers to the scoring system. If a match ends with both teams tied, the match will be decided by medals won and remaining lives for tiebreakers. In the rare case of a 'true tie' on all other metrics, both teams will be considered not winning but also not losing for reward purposes. Lastly, the old 4v4v4 game mode will no longer be available in Elder Scrolls Online for queues, but it may return in the future for limited times during special mini-PvP events.
The oft-neglected Imperial City PvPvE zone has had some improvements in this patch, too. Imperial City keys and key fragments have been converted to Imperial Fragments, and vault treasure chests have become vendors. Furthermore, many of the area's existing vendors have enjoyed upgrades to their wares, including their quality and selection.
Update 44 also adds two new Companions to Elder Scrolls Online: the High Elf outcast Tanlorin and the Khajiit Necromancer Zerith-var, which come with unique passive abilities and questlines. These companions are available for free for ESO Plus members, while everyone else may purchase them with the in-game Crowns. ESO Plus members also get a 10% boost to PvP Alliance Points earned, PvP Skill Line ranks, Alliance rank, and Tel Var Stones gained from killing monsters. The patch also sees new Homes, new Furnishings, new Skill Styles, new Scripts, and a new Grimoire.
Last but not least, HDR is finally supported on PC (provided you have an HDR display) with extensive tweaking options: HDR Mode, HDR Peak Brightness, HDR Scene Brightness, HDR Scene Contrast, HDR UI Brightness, and HDR UI Contrast. For the full patch notes, head to the official forums.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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